Barrier wall mounting plate for electrical fixture enclosure

Abstract

A lighting fixture has a canopy formed thereon. Electrical wiring for a lamp socket of the fixture is routed through the canopy. One end of each wire electrically connects to the socket, and the other end of each wire extends through the canopy. A mounting plate fits in opening defined by the canopy and is secured to the canopy. The plate has a central opening through which the free ends of the wires extend. The mounting plate includes a swivel bar attached to the plate on its side to connect it to an outlet box. By attaching the outlet box to the swivel bar, and then the mounting plate to the fixture, the fixture can be adjusted to any orientation regardless of the orientation of the outlet box. In one embodiment, the swivel bar is replaced with arcuate slots through which fasteners extend to allow the plate (and hence the fixture) to be set to a desired orientation with respect to the outlet box. The lighting fixture, in one embodiment, includes a socket assembly comprising a mounting bar which is mounted to the plate at one end and to which a socket is mounted at an opposite end. The cover and socket assembly are both independently mounted to the plate. Hence, no wiring is associated with the cover, per se.

We claim:  
     
       1. An electrical fixture mountable to an outlet box through which electrical wires for connecting the fixture to a power source are routed, the fixture comprising: 
       a cover on which a canopy is formed, the cover defining an opening;  
       a socket assembly independent of the cover; the socket assembly including a mounting arm having a lamp receiving socket mounted at one end of said arm;  
       a barrier wall mounting plate fitting over the cover opening and to which both said socket assembly and said cover are connected, the plate having an opening therein through which the free ends of the wires extend, the free ends of the wires being spliced together with ends of the electrical wires routed through the outlet box, the mounting plate including connecting means for attaching the plate to the outlet box with the electrical fixture being movable relative to the resulting outlet box/mounting plate assembly for the fixture to be positioned in a preferred orientation regardless of the orientation of the outlet box, and with all of the electrical wires being completely enclosed by the outlet box and mounting plate.  
     
     
       2. The fixture of  claim 1  wherein said mounting arm is removably connected to said barrier wall mounting plate by a connector; said connector being on one of said arm and said plate; the other of said arm and said plate receiving said connector. 
     
     
       3. The fixture of  claim 2  wherein said connector is a squeezable arm. 
     
     
       4. The fixture of  claim 1  wherein said cover includes a hollow throat which extends from said canopy; said mounting arm extending through said throat. 
     
     
       5. The fixture of  claim 1  wherein the cover is connected to the plate by a fastener which extends through a surface of the cover and into the barrier wall mounting plate. 
     
     
       6. The fixture of  claim 5  wherein the cover includes a wall extending downwardly from a bottom of the throat; the surface through which the fastener extends comprising the wall. 
     
     
       7. The fixture of  claim 1  wherein said connecting means comprises a swivel bar rotatably mounted to said plate. 
     
     
       8. The fixture of  claim 1  wherein said connecting means comprises at least one arcuate segment formed in the mounting plate and at least one fasteners extending through the arcuate segment for attaching the mounting plate and the outlet box together; the segment being smaller in width than a head of the fastener. 
     
     
       9. An electrical lighting fixture comprising: 
       a lamp socket in which a light bulb is inserted:  
       a cover for the lamp socket including a canopy formed for electrical wiring to the lamp socket to be routed through the canopy with one end of each of a plurality of electrical wires to be electrically connected to the socket and the other, free end thereof extending through the canopy, the fixture being attached to an outlet box through which electrical wires for connecting the fixture to a power source are routed; and,  
       a barrier wall mounting plate assembly including a plate and a swivel bar rotatably mounted to the plate, the plate fitting in an opening defined by the canopy, the plate having an opening therein through which the free ends of the wires extend, the free ends of the wires being spliced together with ends of the electrical wires routed through the outlet box; the barrier wall mounting plate assembly being attached to the outlet box by one of the plate and the swivel bar, the canopy being attached to the other of the plate and the swivel bar; attachment of the outlet box to the barrier wall mounting plate assembly allowing the fixture to be positioned in a preferred orientation regardless of the orientation of the outlet box, and with all of the electrical wires being completely enclosed by the outlet box and mounting plate.  
     
     
       10. The lighting fixture of  claim 9  wherein said swivel bar is rotatable through 360° for the fixture to be oriented in a desired position with respect to the outlet box. 
     
     
       11. The lighting fixture of  claim 10  wherein the barrier wall mounting plate assembly is attached to the outlet box by fasteners extending through the swivel bar and into the outlet box; the swivel bar including an elongate slot at each end thereof through which a fastener for attaching the outlet box and mounting plate together is inserted. 
     
     
       12. The lighting fixture of  claim 11  wherein the width of the slot is narrower than a head of the fastener to draw the swivel bar up against the outlet box as the fastener is tightened. 
     
     
       13. The lighting fixture of  claim 12  wherein said mounting plate includes a flat plate in which a plurality of arcuate segments are formed, the arcuate segments being larger in width than the head of a screw for the screw to be inserted through a slot in the swivel bar from the side of said plate opposite that to which the outlet box is mounted. 
     
     
       14. The lighting fixture of  claim 13  further including screws for attaching the mounting plate to the canopy after the mounting plate is attached to the outlet box, the swivel bar allowing the fixture to be rotated relative to the outlet box to a desired position. 
     
     
       15. An electrical lighting fixture comprising: 
       a lamp socket in which a light bulb is inserted:  
       a cover for the lamp socket including a canopy formed for electrical wiring to the lamp socket to be routed through the canopy with one end of each of a plurality of electrical wires to be electrically connected to the socket and the other, free end thereof extending through the canopy, the fixture being attached to an outlet box through which electrical wires for connecting the fixture to a power source are routed; and,  
       a barrier wall mounting plate fitting in an opening defined by the canopy, the plate having an opening therein through which the free ends of the wires extend, the free ends of the wires being spliced together with ends of the electrical wires routed through the outlet box, the mounting plate including a plurality of arcuate segments formed in the mounting plate and spaced uniformly thereabout, fasteners for attaching the mounting plate and the outlet box together being inserted through opposing segments with the segments being smaller in width than the head of a screw so the fasteners, when tightened, draw the outlet box and mounting plate together, the fixture being oriented in a desired position before the fasteners are tightened, attachment of the outlet box to the mounting plate allowing the fixture to be positioned in a preferred orientation regardless of the orientation of the outlet box, and with all of the electrical wires being completely enclosed by the outlet box and mounting plate.  
     
     
       16. The electrical lighting fixture of  claim 15  further including an inner set of arcuate segments and an outer set thereof, said sets being concentric with arcuate segments from one set or the other being used depending upon the size of the outlet box to which the fixture is connected. 
     
     
       17. An electrical lighting fixture comprising: 
       a barrier wall mounting plate mountable to an outlet box;  
       a socket assembly connected to the barrier wall mounting plate; the socket assembly including a mounting arm connected at one end to the mounting plate and having a lamp receiving socket at another end of said arm; and  
       a cover connected to the barrier wall mounting plate independently of the socket assembly; the cover including a canopy which at least partially surrounds the socket when the lighting fixture is assembled; a hollow throat through which said mounting arm passes, and an opening at a rear of said throat, said barrier wall mounting plate being received in said opening.  
     
     
       18. The fixture of  claim 17  wherein said mounting arm is removably connected to said barrier wall mounting plate by a connector; said connector being on one of said arm and said plate; the other of said arm and said plate receiving said connector. 
     
     
       19. The fixture of  claim 18  wherein said connector is a squeezeable arm. 
     
     
       20. The fixture of  claim 17  wherein the cover is connected to the plate by a fastener which extends through a surface of the cover and into the barrier wall mounting plate. 
     
     
       21. The fixture of  claim 20  wherein the cover includes a wall extending downwardly from a bottom of the throat; the surface through which the fastener extends comprising the wall.